Toy race-course device



April 20 1926.

` F. L. MILLS ToY mcs counsz DEVICE Filed DBG.- 14. 1925 .Nwm N Patented Apr. 20, 1926e FRED L. MILLS, or OAK PARK,

ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNOR T0 MILLS NOVELTY COMPANY,

0F CHICAGO, ILLIN 01S, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

' `TOY RAcEcoURsE DEVICE.

.Application led December To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it knoWn that I, FRED L. MILLS, a citizen of the United States,'residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Toy Race-Course Devices, of which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates particularly to means for readily changing the permutation in a -toy race course of the character described in my Patent No. 1,559,120, issued oct. 27, 1925. j

The invention pertains particularlyto the permutation-belt employed in a `race course of the character described Yin the abovementioned patent, and in the combinations hereinafterfset forth. The invention is `illustrated in the accompanying drawing', in Which- Fig.` 1 represents 'a broken elevational view ofl a toy race course constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2, a broken plan view `of the .permutationlbel-t anda racer-positioning belt employed; Fig. 8, a. broken plan view on ya greatly enlarged scale, show-ing :a :fragment ofthe 'permuta tion-belt equipped with an improved catch-v device which serves as a `racer-actuating member; Fig. 4, a sectional Vview taken as indicated at line 4 of Fig. 3; and Fig. y5, a still more greatly enlarged sectional view taken as indicated at line 5 of Fig-4.

The drawing illustrates a toy brace course of the general construction and @mode of operation set forth Jthe above-mentioned application. To enable the present Vinvention to be understood, it i-s unnecessary to fully @illustrate the apparatus Idescribed in said patent.

In the drawing, A designates :a series Io endless .race tracks disposed parallel vertical planes. the diront fone 'of said tracks be- .in-g :shown brokenly lili-g. yl; B designates a permutation-belt mounted on shafts ,l and 2; C designates .a racerfposi-tioning belt moIm-ted'lonshafts f3 and 4.; D designates a series of Yracers `mounted Aon wthe ,parallel race tracks.;`and E designates a portionof a suitable -ca-bin'et*containing the apparatus, lthe liront side *of ,the cabinet Fbeing yprovided with a view-opening, or window, E.

rllhe `shaft .2 isiactuated -in any suitable manner., preferably :by means of an Lelectric `motor which is suitably `controlled and which will .serve to move the racers `through 14, 1925. Serial N0. 75,347. Y

the circuit and then come to a stop, if desired. The shaft 2 is connectedyby means of-a belt 5 With the shaft 4, `and thus serves to drive the racer-positioning belt C. A magnet-controlled clutch 6 controls the op.- eration of the belt 5. The clutch 6 may, in turn, be controlled by an electric circuit, Which electric circuit maybe controlled by means of anote-producing device of `a Inusical instrument. Such a device is described in the patent mentioned above. The cabinet E :nia-ycomprise the cabinet of the musical instrument Which controls the operation of the clutch 6.

The permutation-belt B is provided With any desired `number of racer-actuating devices B. The ,devices lB may be of `the construction illustrated in Figs.` 3,-5.

The tracer-positioning belt C is equipped With across-member 7 Which is adapted to engage' the catch-members With Which the racers D are equipped. This action occurs after the racers have passed beyond the field of vision indicated by the Window E', at which time the racers are also beyond the range of action of 'the permutation-belt The racer-positioning Vbelt serves to engage the racers and return them to the initial end of the course, which appears `at the right hand portion of Fig. l.

A rportion of an electric circuit is shown in Fig. l and is designated 8. It is, however, unnecessary to fully illustrate and describe the .electric circuits employed. Each ofthe racers lD is provided with a depending catch-member 9 Which is adapted to be enga-ged one of ythe catch-members, or

racer-.actuating members, B. The members 9 may be of any suitable construction. They maybe, tor example, of the construction -described in the above-inentioned patent.

The vcatch-members 9 with which the racers are-equipped are adapted .to be envgagedalso by the member 7 of .the permutation-belt C `after the racers have passed .bejyond the range Vofaaction of the permutationbelt. The .racerspositioning .belt then serves to return the racers to the initial end oit the course and bringthem again Ivi-thin the range of action of the .permutation-belt. It will Ybe noted that tho .upper and lower reaches of 'the rendless tracks A vare joined 'by semi-circular rend-portions l0.

The .purpose on? the `improved racer-actuating members B with which the permutation-belt is equipped is to enable the permutation to be changed readily at will. Each member B preferably comprises a transversely disposed angle bar 11 secured to the permutation-belt by means of rivets 11a; and a catch-member 12 adjustably mounted on the bar 11, so that the catch-member can be so positioned as to be located in the vertical plane of any one of the race tracks. Byk em-V ploying a suitable number ofv transverse bars and shiftably mounted catch-members supported thereon, it is possible readily to effect different combinations ofv the catchmembers and thus affect the ysequence in which the racers are carried forward by the permutation-belt during the race.

The angle-'bar 11 is shown mounted on a reinforcing bar 13 which is interposed between the beltand the base-portion of the angle-bar 11. The catch-member y12 is of angle form having a horizontal arm 12a and a vertical arm 12". The arm 12a is equipped at its rear edge with a depending catch-lug` 12c which may engage any one of a series of notches, or recesses, 14vvith which the horizontal rflange of the member 11 is equipped. The vertical flange of the member vided with an elongated slot 11b which accommodates a stud 15 which has its rear end riveted at 15n to the base-portion ofthe` arm 12". A` coil-spring 16 is interposed between the head 15b of the stud and a washer 17 which bears against the front surface of the vertical flange of the angle-bar 11. The spring holds the member 12 in contact with the vertical flange of the angle-bar 11 and holds the lug 12 in engagement with one of the notches 14. By pressing rearwardly on the stud 15, the lug 12C may be disengaged from the notch and the catch-member 1.2 may then be shifted toa new position and allowed to interlockingly engage another notch. The notches 14 are so disposed that they will lie in the planes of the parallel race tracks; and when the catch-member 12 is set in proper position it will be disposed beneath the upper4 reach of one of the race tracks.

The catch-members 12 on the several cross bars, or mounting bars, may be arranged in staggered relation with respect to each other, or in any desired relation, to effect the desired sequence of the racers. ing a greater number of catch-members in the plane of one racer than inthe plane of another racer, the percentage of changes of the favored racer may be increased.

The operation of the apparatus as a whole is the same as that described in the abovementioned application and may be briefly stated here. The racers may be assumed to start from about the position shown in Fig. 1 and to return to about the same position in a cycle of operations, it being understood,

11 is pro-v By positionhowever, that the sequence of the racers may vary, owing to the operation of the apparatus. The permutation-belt, in the illust-ration given, travels more rapidly .than the racer-positioning belt. y

eration of a suit-able motor for driving` the apparatus may be controlled by means of aT coin, if desired. In the operation, the-raceractuators engage-the depending projections 9 of the racers and move the racers along the upper reach of the race tracksA until the racers are carried beyond the range of action of thev pern'iutatioirbelt. then left in transverse alignment at the final end of the pernnitation-belt and presently are engaged by the member 7 of the racerpositioning belt C. The member 7 engages the catches 9 of all the racers, and returns the racers to the :initial end of the race course and brings them within the range of action of the permutation-belt.

By reason of the difference in the speed of the two belts, a change in the sequence of the racers will occur when the racers are brought again in the range of action of the permutation-belt at the initial end-thereof. Also, as explained in the above-mentioned application, means may' be 'provided for automatically changing the relative movements of the two belts at regular or irregular intervals.` For example, said application describesmeans whereby the clutch 6, shown iin the accompanying drawing, may be released when a certain ynote of the musical instrument is struck, thus permitting the racer-positioning belt C to stop momentarily, so that the relative movements of the two belts are thus varied. This results in a still further variation of the sequence of the racers. i

f It may be added `that the plane of the shafts 3 and 4 is below 'the plane of the shafts land 2, so that while'the racers are being returnedl to the initial end of the coursev the racer-actuators B will not engage thefracers.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of undertsanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims'should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: s

1. In a device of the character set forth, a series of independently movable racers, and a permutation-belt equipped with variable racer-actuators, each comprising a mounting member carried by the' belt and an actuating member carried by said mounting member and adjustable crosswise of the belt.

2. In a device of the character set forth, a series of parallel race tracks disposed in vertical planes, racers mountedjon said tracks, a permutation-belt, a series of mount- As indicated, the op-I 7 The racers arev ings on said belt disposed crossvvise of the belt, and catch-members carried by said mountings, each catch-member being adjustable on its mounting and capable of being shifted to a position to enagge one race member or another at will.

3. A permutation-belt for the purpose set forth equipped with a plurality of transversely disposed bars, and catch-members mounted on said bars and adjustable thereon transversely of the belt.

4. A permutation-belt for the purpose set forth equipped with a plurality of transversely disposed bars provided With slots, a catch-men1ber mounted on each bar and equipped with a stud extending through said slot, and a spring mounted on said stud and serving to hold the catch-member in position With relation to the bar.

5. A permutation-belt equipped With a plurality of transverse angle-bars having vertical anges provided With slots and horizontal flanges secured to the belt; an angleform catch-memberslidable on each bar and equipped With a lug adapted to engage recesses with which the horizontal flange of the angle-bar is provided, a stud secured to the vertical arm of the catch-member and movable in said slot, and a spring confined between said stud and the vertical flange of the angle-bar7 for the purpose set forth.

FRED L. MILLS. 

